Difference in Z models

I can tell that the higher end Z has the option for Blu-Ray and also SSD, neither of which I need. (Well, especially for the $ since I'll be looking to spend $2-2.5K) The higher end also has 1600x900 resolution, and the lower one offers 1366x768. And the higher end seems to give you 256 vs 128 MB in graphics.

--Did I miss anything between the specs?
--I'm bad with resolution stuff, maybe because I'm not the most visual (hard for me to 'imagine' the size/look of a screen), Can anyone provide some insight to me what the big difference would be with the resolution? I understand both will still be widescreen, and I'm not entirely sure if the change in resolution and vram are worth the price difference to me.
--I would also love if anyone can explain the big difference in this 13.1" to a typical 13.3" like the SR? I have decided the TZ 11.1" is just too small for my liking, but the 13.3" 1200x800 Dell M1330 and Sony SZ I saw were great (not too little, still a lighter/smaller laptop). Would it be very comparable in either resolution, just widescreen?
(Note: I'm not sure I'm getting a Z ... but it's on my list, so I'd like to work these things out, LOL.)

I know I won't have a chance to see the new Sony's until the one BestBuy around here finally gets them - but I'm not counting on it, LOL. (And even then, I know they won't have both base models for the Z set up.)

 

I think you get the specs differences right.

In the long thread about all the new models, there is a good discussion about the resolution. Basically, 13.1" 1600x900 on the Z will be equivalent to TZ's 1366x768 11.1", so you can try to find a TZ and get a feel for whether you can stomach that kind of resolution (pixel per inch).

Size-wise, 13.1" should be very comparable to the typical 13.3" laptops, so I think you will like it.

 

Z has DDR3

 

Thanks! The 11.1 seemed rather small :/ But then ... I don't know if it seemed like tiny resolution, or just tiny overall. I'll have to go back and check now. BestBuy is going to hate me! LOL. I remember thinking how cool the tiny TZ looked, in true ultra-portable fashion, but you get far less in terms of a good CPU and stuff, it seemed like a little DVD player to me in size. I guess the 13.3" ended up feeling like such a good in between of ultra-portable and heavier/larger models. I'll go find that thread, I appreciate the heads up but still answering me.

Yes, both CTO Z models do. I am comparing the two models you configure for the Z, one starts out $280 more expensive, trying to pinpoint all the reasons why and if it is worth the price difference.

 

hey,

i just ordered the Z today and made a post about it. maybe it will help you with your decision:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3650841&postcount=1937

 

Thank you! I was just starting through that thread - whew, it'll take me a while. LOL. The direct link helped, and I appreciate you sharing your reasoning.

I wish they were already available so the reviews could start pouring in. But it's an absolute front-runner for me right now. I'm hoping when it releases the price will come down some...that'd really help. I'm still considering the SR as well, it's got a nicer price point for me as of right now.

 

yah price was on my mind the entire time i was configuring and that was the best i could come up with. the only thing that would make me regret my setup is if somehow the 1600x900 resolution looks 10x better than the stock res.

 

It's the drawback to ordering something new, not really knowing these things. I think it'll be fine ... I wouldn't think the resolution would be *that* big of a difference. If none of the previous were true widescreens and still looked good, I wouldn't think it'd be that amazing to have one that suddenly is. (Again though, I'm not the best visual person! I'd be thrilled to see pictures comparing the two!)

 

i was contemplating whether to get the SR as well. if you look at the price difference between the entry SR and entry Z, you really do get your moneys worth. off the top of my head, you get a lighter laptop made out of carbon fiber, a better lcd, hdmi, hybrid graphics, and faster memory. i'm sure i'm missing a few things, but those things alone justify the price difference for me. however, if you can afford to wait for reviews, i would just wait.

 

Yeah, I am a bit nervous about screen size still - what *if* it's super tiny? LOL. Since I haven't seen more comparing or seen that kind of size in person it's hard to commit to it yet. I also still wish it were cheaper, because I will really want a decent warranty - I'm thinking the 3 years. So worth the price, maybe, but bumping it kinda out of my price range - yeah. (I think I'll keep the $ aside and offer to pay back my parents any overage, and then just try to keep it with warranty under $2.5K...or keep it about $2k without warranty and buy the warranty separate myself when it arrives, depending how much more that'd cost me though.)

But I really love the things you mentioned. The screen on the SR says "Eco" as well, which I understand is a powersaver but could be less bright/nice. And I like that the duraview on the Z supposedly reduces glare as well as protects it (no need for an aftermarket screen protector and having to risk lowering the brightness as a result, or dealing with air bubbles). The faster memory - for price I'm shocked how decent the upgrade is compared to how it sells on Crucial.com for example. Unsure if I'd use the HDMI port honestly, I would happily have sacrificed for another USB, but I know 2 is totally standard for 13ish laptops.

I won't lie - I want something stylish along with powerful and absolutely easy to take with me day to day. (I had an old laptop when I began school, it was 7ish lbs 15.4" and I just knew from the beginning it'd be an issue - sure enough I never ever used the thing. Topped with books and its huge power brick, etc it was such a nuisance to me..) I kinda like that SR offers color options, I always love something different (like how I went with the red M1330, I admit I loved the color being totally stand out compared to most laptops you see around campus). Then when I re-examined the Z, I decided since its carbon fiber and the sleek one piece aluminum piece on the keyboard instead of the matching paint on the SR ... I kinda prefer the look. It's 'boring basic black' again, but it looks higher quality and more sleek, which is just great. I can always just spice up my laptop protectors to express my fun side, LOL.

I am going to school year round, so there's no real 'back to school' rush for me (no move involved). I had gotten the thumbs up for about a $2K laptop from my parents, and of course it'd be hugely helpful now so I kinda jumped at the M1330, sure it'd be worth the issues people brought to my attention. It wasn't, and had more ... it was a huge letdown, and for $1.9K I decided it wasn't worth being disappointed from day one. Some issues in a new laptop isn't shocking, but for them to keep compiling and be somewhat major given a brand new expensive system - no. Now I'm kinda hoping Sony won't disappoint ... though I know there's no such thing as perfection, it seems Sony has far less build quality problems, and the M1330 specifically seems to be one hell of a troubled laptop model. (In Sony's defense, my cell phone and my camera and my sisters are all Sony - and while not computers, still electronics so it's nice to know those items are nice and solid, and have lasted extremely well with no issues for any of them over the last few years. Not the same, I know! But still a positive.)

 

Didn't know Sony made robot sisters...

 

Do you think they'd accept trade-ins?

Sorry, my sisters camera. LOL.

 

hey again. my response is in bold:

 

In terms of waiting, how long are you suggesting? Just curious how long you're talking in terms of working out the issues...I wouldn't think they'd release a new version of the Z for quite some time even with issues found? I was thinking of waiting for an improved (lower) price (or a better discount/deal) and some good reviews so I could really be sure of my decision (since I am still considering SR and *maybe* a new Dell if/when and if they're cleared of the massive M1330 type issues). I'm not planning on waiting long - maybe sometime September latest? I have vacation in October, I figure it'd be great to have one here by then. I am also getting this thanks to my parents, so the longer I wait ... who knows. I think it's smart for me to just get one now that my mom has agreed to it for more $ in than I prob. would have been able to spend myself.

In terms of screen and seeing it ... I think Bestbuy is my only hope here. Laptop shopping in person here is hard, so few options and so many are larger than I am going for (around 12.1-14.1). I'm not sure how long it'll take them to have them on display. And no doubt only one resolution, likely the lower, of the Z. But maybe, just maybe they'll be on top of it and have them out as soon as Sony has them shipping? Hmm. Doubtful, but I'll start to stalk the place. Juuust in case.

 

i think waiting until after the first wave of people get their Z's in mid-august is a good time frame because they're likely to post their initial thoughts and any issues that come up right away. around the same time period, major websites will receive their evaluation units as well and post more formal reviews that you can compare other laptops with.

 

http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/articles/0807/22/news071_4.html

 

^^awesome! the higher resolution looks great, but I think the text is too small like others have mentioned. I think there are programs out there that allow for virtual desktops anyway, so it would defeat the purpose of having the higher resolution.

 

Wow, thanks! +1

I wish it were large enough to really get a feel for the resolution, but it's still a really helpful comparison between the two. I didn't think it'd be as dramatic of a difference, I'm surprised.

 

Sure high res has some drawbacks:

1. Consumes more power

2. You need to adjust the DPI of the system fonts...


But I think the higher resolution has more benefits:

1. Much working space, four different desktops just don't always serve the purpose...

2. The screen seems more crisp, high res pictures just look awesome, no need to scale them down...

3. You can always change to another lower resoltion, sure doesn't look as good but still...

 

yah honestly if i had a higher budget, i'd go with the higher resolution.

 

just curious, but what is resolution based upon? the type of lcd used or something else? since the hardware between the two Z models is practically identical, i wonder if someone will discover a hack or tweak that will enable the 1600x900 resolution for 1366x768 owners =)

 

I don't think you understand how LCD displays work. You can't "hack" a 1366x768 LCD display to become a 1600x900 any more than you can hack 2 GBs of ram to become 4 GBs of RAM.

A LCD display is a matrix of thousands of pixels. Unlike CRT (cathode ray tube) displays, a LCDs have fixed pixels since each pixel has it's own physical cell in the display. For example a 1366x768 display has a grid of exactly 1366x768 pixels - there's nothing you can do to change this. So at the hardware level, LCD displays are fixed to one resolution and one resolution only. Now through software you can scale content meant for other resolutions to fit on the screen (although this often looks bad), but it's not actually changing your resolution.

Anyway the point is, the 1366x768 models definitely have different hardware than 1600x900 models - the screen is different (it's a different resolution, obviously). You can't unlock something through software that the hardware isn't capable of

 

^^thanks for the clarification. after looking at those pics, it's making me want to adjust my order.